


Earrings

by NaitoHikari



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Drabble, F/F, Fluff, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-26
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2018-02-14 21:04:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2203089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaitoHikari/pseuds/NaitoHikari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Sheriff never cared much for piercings. The Enforcer has several.</p><p>Domestic fluff between Piltover's Finest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Earrings

She never thought much of them - like the tattoos and the buzzed scalp and the gauntlets, they were simply part of Vi, and thus she simply didn't question them.

She never paid attention to them - never noticing her change out the thick rings in favor of more modest studs, suitable for her new uniform and the dress code, or the elegant silver chains that matched her golden tie and ivory vest.

She never saw her without them - just as she never saw her without her lollipop, weaning off her smoking habit, or without a donut clamped between fingers bigger than her face, on the rare days Piltover's Finest could stroll peacefully through their patrol routes.

And it never failed to surprise her as she occasionally caught the brash, aggressive, passionate Enforcer in such a normal, domestic state - she stared at her partner through the crack of the door, watching Vi take them off in front of the bathroom mirror and rifle through her special box, the handle of her toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. In the moments before a new pair of rings claimed their spots, she never could recall the last time she'd seen her partner's bare ear.

Vi was made of steel and hard muscle and rough edges, of dreadlocks of pink hair and black poetry dancing over battle-tested skin. She was fire and courage and recklessness, confidence and stubbornness and fury. Vi was vicious, Vi was violent - and sometimes, Caitlyn forgot, Vi was human. She forgot the Vi that lived beyond the letters, the Vi that was curled in her lap, the Vi that slept away the danger and excitement of the world outside their bedroom - the Vi that was vulnerable. Seeing her without the steel in her ears - though she admittedly never acknowledged their existence - was like seeing Vi stripped uncomfortably bare.

One hand leafed absently through the surprisingly soft hair, fingers rasping over old scars as they wandered down the Enforcer’s skull. A small, contented hum greeted them appreciatively. Sometimes it was hard to believe this creature of comfort could be so capable of the destruction Caitlyn was so familiar with.

“What’chu scoffin’ at, Cupcake?” her sleep-roughed voice pulled Caitlyn from her thoughts, prompting her to look down at Vi from her book.

“You’re so tame at home,” Caitlyn mused, running the knuckles of her fingers through the prickly patch of shaved hair, then down the letters on her cheek. Vi made an approving sound and closed her eyes, a faint smirk at the edge of her lip. “The streets would be so much cleaner if you were this calm on patrols.”

“Pfffft.” An eyebrow raised, though her eyes still remained closed. “That’s boring. And you know I keep them pretty clean already. Got a reputation to take care of, y’hear?”

“Mmm.” Caitlyn’s fingers wandered over to Vi’s ear, thumb stroking the ring on the cartilage - the transition from soft skin to hard metal was jarring, unnatural. “Is that what this is for?”  
“Cupcake, what’re you doin’?” This time she did open an eye, a mild hint of annoyance in its blue depths. Amused by the reaction, Caitlyn pinched the ring lightly, wiggling it within its socket.

“Cait, you’re gonna pull my ear off,” Vi grumbled, swatting her hand away. She turned in Caitlyn’s lap so she could glare at her with both eyes, eyebrow still cocked. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing,” Caitlyn replied, a slow smile spreading on her face as her hand returned to the side of Vi’s head. The brawler opened her mouth to complain as fingers found her ear, but instead let out an involuntary sigh as Caitlyn rolled the stud in her lobe between her fingers, massaging the skin.

"It looks like you enjoy it," Caitlyn teased.

Vi pursed her lips, chest swelling with indignation. "Oh, knock it off, Cait." She turned away, pouting, pulling the ear out of Caitlyn's reach. The sheriff chuckled, brushed the messy hair out of the brawler’s face, and gave her cheek a feather-light peck.

Later, when they were in bed, Vi’s lean back pressed into the space between her arms, she nibbled on the helix ring - and was rewarded by her partner’s loud complaints as she squirmed, helplessly trapped between stubborn pride and the warm lips and hard teeth, suckling gently on the cold metal in her soft ear.

She took much more notice of them after that. Like the tattoos and the buzzed scalp and the gauntlets, they were simply part of Vi, and thus she simply didn’t question them.

She did, however, change out the thick rings in favor of more modest studs, suitable for the well-worn uniform and dress code, and then for the elegant golden chains that matched her silver gauntlets and blue shirt.

She always saw her with them - just as she always saw her with a lollipop, turning down a pack of cigarettes, or with a donut clamped between fingers that had often held her cupcake’s face, on the more common days Piltover’s Finest could enjoy their stroll through their patrol routes.

And it always managed to surprise her as the occasionally brash, aggressive, passionate Enforcer allowed her to share in such a domestic, natural state - she stared at her partner through the reflection of the bathroom mirror, watching Vi stare back as she took them off and rifled through her now bigger box, the handle of her toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. In the moments before a new pair of rings claimed their spots, she always recalled every time Vi let her partner touch her bare ear.

 

“Why don’tchu get earrings, Cupcake?” she asked one day, hand cupped over her piercings in a futile attempt to stop Caitlyn from playing with them again. “Seem t’ like mine so much.”

“They suit you,” she replied, fingers cupping over Vi’s, tracing the miniature gears flexing with the skin of her knuckles. “And as Sheriff, piercings would be a little… unprofessional.”

“Pffft.” She closed her eyes, leaning into her hand. “That’s lame. You know you can get those lobes pierced, right? Conventional stuff that won’t attract attention or somethin’.”

Her eyebrows shot up in amusement. “You read the dress code?”

“Cupcake,” Vi cocked an eyebrow in response. “You kinda smacked me in the face with it. Remember?”

Caitlyn laughed. Of course she remembered the brawler’s first day in the force. How couldn’t she? Every day after was full of headache and adventure and life - she just needed a reminder.

Vi was good at that. For the past 7 years, Vi never failed to do so - to remind her that, for all her aloofness and devotion to the job, she was human, too.

“Thanks for the suggestion,” she replied. “But I like playing with yours better.”

**Author's Note:**

> So I got my ears pierced on a whim, in similar fashion to Vi's (one helix, one lobe). Inspired by a week of post-care :P


End file.
